Mar 26: Great Lakes United (GLU) has launched a new website -- Find My Cleanup -- as a resource and service to all community members. GLU says, "Our intent is to make readily available information about clean up projects in the Great Lakes basin and beyond. We strive to keep the information up-to-date and we invite community members to contact us if the information they find here is incomplete. We encourage all groups and organizations to use this tool to publicize their clean up projects and thank them for their dedication to protecting our watersheds. Great Lakes United recognizes that keeping our water sources clean and healthy must be a community priority, and we hope that this resource helps those seeking to achieve this admirable goal." The site includes an interactive Google map with locations of posted cleanup sites. Clicking the site provides details on the location, scheduled meetings, links to additional cleanup information, contacts and more detailed maps. GLU welcomes comments and suggestions on the site.
Access the Find My Cleanup website (click here). Access the GLU website for more information (click here).
Sep 14: U.S. EPA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report entitled, EPA Needs a Cohesive Plan to Clean Up the Great Lakes Areas of Concern (No. 09-P-0231, September 14, 2009). OIG conducted the evaluation to determine how effectively U.S. EPA has fulfilled its role for managing Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) clean-ups, particularly for remediating contaminated sediments. OIG examined the results of EPA's Great Lakes AOC effort and assessed whether EPA has an effective strategy to meet its goals.Thirty-one AOCs have been identified around the U.S. border of the Great Lakes. All but one are polluted with contaminated sediments. To provide a funding source for sediment remediation, Congress passed the Great Lakes Legacy Act (Legacy Act) in 2002. EPA, through the Great Lakes National Program Office, is responsible for working with the States, localities, and other stakeholders to remove this contaminated sediment.The OIG found that since 2004, EPA has completed five Legacy Act-funded contaminated sediment clean-ups and remediated approximately 800,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment. However, EPA is challenged by the overall extent of the contaminated sediment problem in the Great Lakes AOCs. EPA is the designated lead Agency for the clean-ups; however, OIG found EPA does not have a regime for coordinating remediation activities across its program offices as well as with States, localities, and other stakeholders. While some results have been achieved in cleaning up individual sediment sites, EPA has not developed or implemented a coordinated approach to manage clean-ups.EPA does not know the full extent of the contaminated sediment problem. Accurate sediment estimates for more than 30 percent of the remediation sites remain unknown. Potential Great Lakes Legacy Act clean-up sites have an estimated federal cost of $2.25 billion. Local partners will have to come up with a total of $1.21 billion in non-Federal matching funds before Legacy Act assistance is provided. OIG estimated that at the current rate of progress, it may take more than 77 years to complete all of these clean-ups. Moreover, remediation will be conducted in the order that individual local governments and stakeholders can afford, rather than with regard to the risks posed to human health or the environment. OIG concluded that without improved management, coordination, and accountability, EPA will not succeed in achieving the results intended for the AOC program. OIG recommends that the Great Lakes National Program Manager: (1) establish an AOC management plan that includes written designations of authority and responsibility for each EPA program office with regard to remediating contaminated sediment; (2) assign a lead EPA office to each Sediment Remediation Site and determine the volume of contaminated sediment at each site; and (3) annually measure and publish estimates of Sediment Remediation Site sediment volumes, clean-up costs, and stakeholder progress for each site. EPA concurred with developing a limited management plan (but not designating site-specific leadership authorities), and proposed that this management plan would also be updated to include annual reporting on Sediment Remediation Sites. However, OIG said, "these actions are insufficient and do not meet the intent of the recommendations. The recommendations are unresolved."Access the complete 21-page report (click here).
Nov 18: The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) is urging Congress to include funding for critical Great Lakes infrastructure needs in the economic stimulus package currently being developed. In correspondence sent this week to the Great Lakes Congressional delegation, newly elected Commission Chairman, Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn stated that, “now, more than ever, we have an opportunity to create jobs, stimulate economic development and protect and restore fresh water resources in the eight-state Great Lakes region.” Recognizing the severe economic downturn affecting the Great Lakes region, Lt. Gov. Quinn emphasized that the Great Lakes are a vital economic asset for the region. The Commission highlighted four critical areas where the economic stimulus package could support large-scale infrastructure projects that can be implemented in 2009 to stimulate job growth and strengthen the regional economy. Projects areas outlined included: Repair and upgrade failing wastewater infrastructure by providing $6.5 billion to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, with $2.4 billion for the eight Great Lakes states; Implement toxic sediment cleanup projects by providing $250 million for the Great Lakes Legacy Act; Begin construction of a new large lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan with $100 million for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Eliminate the backlog in dredging Great Lakes ports, navigation channels and recreational harbors by providing $125 million to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Access a release from GLC with further details and link to the complete letter (click here).
Aug 5: U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office; the Great Lakes Commission; and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality have announced the annual meeting for the U.S. Areas of Concern (AOCs). The meeting will be held September 24-25, 2008, at Kensington Court, Ann Arbor, Michigan and will convene participants from the 30 U.S. AOCs to review recent developments affecting the sites of contamination.
The meeting will feature more than 40 presentations on activities underway in the U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern on the following major topics: Current status and future direction for the U.S. AOC program; Great Lakes Legacy Act and contaminated sediment cleanups in the AOCs; Progress in establishing restoration targets and delisting the AOCs; Fish and wildlife restoration efforts in the AOCs; Capacity building and sustainability for local RAP groups; and Communications and advocacy.
Access complete meeting details and registration information (click here).
